Mo Mowlam

Born on 18 September 1949 in Watford, Mo Mowlam went to school in Coventry and read Social Anthropology at the University of Durham. After gaining a PhD in 1978 from Iowa University, she lectured at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and worked at Northern College, Barnsley. Mowlam was elected Labour MP for Redcar in 1987 and held various Opposition posts until her appointment as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when Labour came to power in 1997. After two years, she became Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, an office she held until stepping down as an MP at the General Election of June 2001.